Constant potential exciter



Oct. 10, 1950 w. R. HARDING ETAT. 2,525,486

CONSTANT POTENTIAL Excma Filed June so, 1947 2 sheets-sheet 1 WITNESSES: 5 I INVENTORS v W/l//m Hard/ng and 'Ma/fn H Fisher.'

ATTORN EY Oct. l0, 1950 Filed June 50, 1947 Volts WITNESSES:

w. R. HARDING :TAL 2,525,486

CONSTANT POTENTIAL EXCITER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1000 's f77/,on PQ/es ATTORN EY Patented Oct. 10, 19,50

CONSTANT POTENTIAL EXCITER William R. Harding, East Aurora, N. Y., and Martin H. Fisher, Pittsburgh, Pa., assgnors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 30, 1947, Serial No. 758,198

(Cl. S22-62) Claims.

Our invention relates to systems of control for direct-current generators, and more particularly to systems of control for two-circuit armature exciters to control the voltage output thereof.

American manufacturers, particularly ynow when exports of electric equipment are extensive, are often called upon to supply motor-generator sets that are usable on either 59 cycle alternating current vor on 60 cycle alternating current. If the direct-current exciter driven by the motor of the motor-generator set is designed for a given voltage at 50 cycles, it is apparent that the exciter voltage will rise unduly when the motor is operated from a 60 cycle supply. To vprevent excessive voltage changes of an exciter when called upon t0 operate at a higher speed for-- merly required notching of the main poles. This notching changes the section of the pole pieces and the poles were caused to become saturated at the higher speed insuring good voltage regulation at the higher speed and little voltagechange due to the higher speed and due to temperature changes. Removal of the main poles for notchingis a rather laborious task and in consequence an expensive task. Customers are hesitant to pay for such modications.

One broad object of our invention is the pro-A vision of exciters having goodvvoltageregulation for either of two speeds. f

Another broad object Lof our invention is the provision of a self-excited direct-current gen-k erator having good voltage regulation and substantially the same voltage output though operated at any one of several selected speeds.

A somewhat specific object of our invention is the provision of a control, for a direct-current generator of the self-excited type and being of the type having a two-circuit armaturathat provides for a constant voltage output though the generator is operated at either of'two different speeds.

A still other somewhat specic object of our Fig. 5 is a so-called straight-line diagram `of the showing of Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a showing of the saturation curves for a four-pole machine and a two-pole machine provided with our contribution to the art.

The exciter shown in Fig. 1 isa standard fourthe generator is not shown because the motor isr no part of our invention. It suilices to know that the exciter E is to operate either at 1450 R. P. M., corresponding to a 50 cycle source for the motor driving the exciter, or at 1750 R. P. M., corresponding to a 60 cycle source for the motor.

The eld SF, except for the heavy series field CF and the commutating field CM, is v4connected directly across the armature terminals and the ileld design is such that, forthe amperev turns chosen, the main poles N1 and Si during normal operation become saturated. The loop circuit for this field through the two-circuit armature may be traced from lead I, which we shall consider the positive lead, through eld SF comprising pole coil 2 on pole Si and pole coil 3 on pole N1, and conductor 4 to lead y5, the exciter compounding eld CF comprising pole coil 6 on pole S1 and pole coil 1 on pole N1, the two-circuit armature 8, and the commutating winding CM comprising the individual windings 9, I0, II and I2, back to lead I. From the loop circuit just traced, it is apparent that the leads I and 5 do represent the leads from the exciter armature to which the outside or load circuit of the exciter is to be connected.

The circuit for the adjustable eld AF comprising the pole windings I 4 and I5 may be traced from the lead I through conductor I3, the adjustable field AF comprising the pole coil I4 on the pole piece S2, the pole coil I5, on the pole piece N2, and conductor I5 through the resistor R to the negative lead 5.

The two top pole pieces N1 and Si are operated fully saturated, whereas theexcitation of the windings on the pole pieces N2 and S2 is such as not to saturate these pole pieces and, further,

the resistance R is so adjusted that the sum of the fluxes produced by the poles S1, N1, S2 and N-i is of suicient value to produce the output voltage required.

To explain this more in detail, let us suppose that the two upper pole pieces are operated at points of saturation. For 5000 ampere turns, from one of the curves, namely, curve V, on Fig. 6, considering the generator, or exciter E, is operated at 1450 R. P. lvl-the 50 cycle operation-it is apparent that the top or saturated poles produce 135 volts, see points A and A'. Further, let the requirement be that the voltage between leads l and 5 is to be 230 volts.

Since 135 falls short of the 230 volts required by 95 volts, it is apparent that the bottom poles S2 and N2 must provide this additional voltage. From points C and C corresponding to 95 volts on curve X, it is apparent that about 3000 ampere turns will be required in AF to provide the necessary additio'ial voltage. The point, as point I1, on resistor R is then found to provide the proper total excitation.

When the exciter E is operated a motor supplied with 60 cycles, that is operating at 1750 R.. P. M. then it will be noted from curve Y that at 5000 ampere turns (see points D and D), the top poles provide a voltage of.160 volts. The bottom poles thus must provide the difference of 70 volts. apparent that about 1700 ampere turns on eld AF' will sufce to give the exciter an output voltage of 230 volts.

For 50 cycle operation it will be noted that 5000 ampere turr-s and 3000 ampere turns, respectively, were used on the respective two pairs oi poles or an average of i000 per pair of poles. From point M on curve L, it is apparent that point M is at about 230 volts, the desired voltage.

Similarly, for 50 cycle operation the average ampere turns is one-half of the sum of 5000 and 1790, or 3350 ampere turns. This number of ampere turns, from curve K, again produces about 230 volts, the desired voltage. See points N and A suitable point, as point Hi, is thus determined on the resistor to which the jumper l!! may be connected when the exciter is operating at the higher1 speed. rPhe points I'l and i8 are determined at the factory and suitableleads brought out from the resistor. The terminals can be iarlred, respectively, 50 cycles, and 50 cycles. The transition from one supply ireouency to another may thus be readily made in the field with a minimum of expense.

The resistor R, being external to the machine, is readily adjusted, as just explained, to the speed selected, and further is not aifected by the changes in temperature of the exciter. Further, the total watts of energy to be dissipated by the resistor R is rathe small since the iiux supplied by poles S2 and N2 is small and because only two poles are in the resistor circuit. The resistor, therefore, need be but a small resistor.

rEhe series field, or compounding eld, is selected to the proper compounding effect and the compcnindingT field is placed on the poles that are operated saturated because the ampere turn value required to compound the machine is most nearly the same at either speed.

Since the poles N1 and S1 are always saturated the iiux change due to temperature change is minimized. Since the external resistor R is not aected by changes in machine temperature, the flux in poles N2 and S2 is also not much aiected From points C- and G', itis by temperature changes. Temperature changes thus do not materially affect the output voltage.

While we have shown and described but one embodiment of our invention, we do not wish to be limited to this one showing but wish to be limited only by the scope of the claims hereto appended.

We claim as our invention:

l. in an electric system of control, in combination, a direct-current generator having a two-circuit armature but having standard magnetic circuits including standard pole pieces, iield windings on the pole pieces, means for so exciting one half of the field windings, disposed on one half the pole pieces for producing a voltage in the armature circuit, that the pole pieces oi the rst half of the pole pieces are saturated, compounding windings on the saturated pole pieces, means for so exciting the other half of the iield windings, disposed on the other half of the pole pieces for producing an additive voltage in the armature circuit, that the pole pieces of the second half of the pole pieces are not saturated, and means for altering the effect oi the last-named means that the excitation of the pole pieces of the second half of the pole pieces may be altered in a sense opposite to changes in speed at which the generator may operate to thus provide a constant voltage output for different speeds.

2. In an electric system of control, in combination, a direct-current generator having a two-circuit armature but having standard inagnetic circuits including standard pole pieces, a pattern field winding, having a constant iinpedance, connected to the armature terminals and being disposed on the pole pieces producing a voltage in the armature circuit, the impedance of the, pattern field winding in relation to the rated voltage of the generator being such that the pole pieces on which the pattern field is wound are operated well above the knee of the saturation curve, a control iield winding wound on the other pole pieces and producing an additive voltage in the armature circuit, an adjustable impedance connected in series with the control eld, said control field and adjustable impedance being connected to the armature terminals of the generator, the impedance being normally so adjusted that the excitation of the pole pieces carrying the control iield is well below the knee of the saturation curve, whereby compensation for changes in speed of operation of the generator may be eifected by changing the impedance value in series with the control eld in the same sense as the changes in speed.

3. In an electric system of controi, in combination, a, direct-current generator having a two circuit armature but having standard magnetic circuits including standard pole pieces, a pattern field winding having a constantv impedance connected to the armature terminals and being disposed on the pole pieces producing a voltage in the armature circuit, the impedance or" the pat ern eld winding in relation to the rated voltage of the generator being such that the pole pieces on which the pattern field is wound are operated well above the knee of the saturation curve, a series compounding field wound on the saine pole pieces carrying the pattern field windings, a control field winding wound on other pole pieces producing an additive voltage in the armature cir-- cuit, an adjustable impedance connected in series with the control field, said control held and adjustable impedance being connected to the armachanging the impedance value in seriesy with the Y control eld in the same sense as the changes in speed.

4. In an electric system of control, in combination, a four pole direct-current generator having a, two-circuit armature but having standard magnetic circuits including standard pole pieces, a pattern eld Winding, having a constant impedance, connected to the armature terminals and being disposed on one pair of adjacent pole pieces for producing a voltage in the armature circuit, the impedance of the pattern eld winding in relation to the rated voltage of the generator being selected to be such that the pole pieces on which the pattern field is wound are operated well above the knee of the saturation curve, a control field winding wound on the other pair of adjacent pole pieces for producing an additive voltage in the armature circuit, and means for varying the excitation of the control eld with changes in speed so that a smaller additive voltage is produced in the armature winding for higher speeds of operation, and a higher additive voltage is produced in the armature windings for lower speeds of operation.

5. In an electric system of control, in combination, a four pole direct-current generator having a, two-circuit armature but having standard magnetic circuits including standard pole pieces,

a pattern field winding, having a constant impedance, connected to the armature terminals and being disposed on one pair of adjacent pole pieces for producing a voltage in the armature circuit, the impedance of the pattern eld winding in relation to the rated voltage of the generator being selected to be such that the pole pieces on which the pattern eld is wound are operated well above the knee of the saturation curve, a

series compounding field wound on the same pole pieces carrying the pattern field windings, a control field winding wound on the other pair of y adjacent pole pieces for producing an additive Voltage in the armature circuit, and means for varying the excitation of the control field with changes in speed so that a smaller voltage is pro- .V duced in the armature winding for higherspeeds of operation, and a higher voltage is produced in the armature windings for lower speeds of operation.

WILLIAM R. HARDING. MARTIN H. FISHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 608,309 Steinmetz Aug. 2, 1898 2,180,700 Tisza et al Nov. 21, 1939 2,183,396 Greer Dec. 12, 1939 2,325,407 Kaufmann July 27. 1943 

